Find a clinical trial

Clinical Trials

Eligible patients have an important part in clinical research trials and the opportunity to access promising new drugs, devices and treatments. Are you looking for a clinical trial? Ask your provider, doctor or patient navigator about accessing clinical trials near you.

What are clinical trials?

A clinical trial is a research study that helps scientists and doctors discover better ways to treat diseases. In a clinical trial, people try new treatments targeted at specific diseases. Researchers learn how well the experimental treatment works.

For some patients, access to new disease-fighting drugs and therapies offer hope when standard treatments have not worked.

With clinical trials, patients receive:

Extra support and attention as they undergo new treatments

The chance to be helped by a brand-new treatment that otherwise is not offered

Possible help with medical bills related to the clinical trials

The opportunity to help doctors and scientists fighting serious diseases.

Clinical trials at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute

Scientists and doctors work together at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute to fight diseases and improve medical care for all patients. With clinical research, our medical researchers take findings from the laboratory to the bedside through clinical trials.

Patients who volunteer to participate in clinical trials can benefit from new discoveries and promising medical treatments.

Risks of clinical trials for patients

If you are thinking about joining a clinical trial, talk to your doctor first. Get as much information as you can about the clinical research and clinical trial.

Because the treatment is new, researchers may not know fully the safety and effectiveness of a new drug, device or medical therapy.

Experimental treatments may not work as well as standard treatments you would have had if you were not in the clinical trials. People also may have side effects.